By IANS,
Dubai : Former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram feels that India have emerged as the strongest team in world cricket.
Akram also rated pace spearhead Zaheer Khan as the best bowler in the cricket world.
“India have won against Australia at home and away, and beaten England and South Africa,” the Gulf News quoted Akram as saying.
“I will admit that South Africa are the best only if they do well in India during their tour,” he said
Asked who he would pick as the world’s best bowler, Akram said: “Without doubt Zaheer Khan is the best. He has improved his bowling. He can swing the ball both ways and also get it to reverse swing. He can also bowl close to the wicket, wide of the crease and round the wicket.”
One of the finest left arm pacers in the sport’s history, Akram had bagged 414 Test wickets and 502 wickets in one-dayers during his international career.
Akram has in the past provided tips to Khan.
The former Pakistani captain also expressed disappointment at the cancellation of the Indian tour of Pakistan following the Mumbai terror attacks.
He said that if Pakistan did not get to play international cricket, the country would lose more players to the Twenty20 Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is not recognised by the Indian cricket board.
“If cricketers do not get enough opportunity to play the game they will leave… So Pakistan should play international cricket either at home or abroad at any cost,” he said.
Pakistan would find their tour to Australia in October this year really tough after having not played Test cricket for nearly a year, Akram added.